How to Lower Your Risk of Headches and Eye Strain
With a Few Simple Changes

Three steps to reducing computer-related
eye strain

Whether you're an office worker, a student or simply a Facebook addict, you'll almost certainly find yourself
sitting in front of a computer screen for hours on end, day in and day out. This kind of prolonged computer use can
have seriously negative effects on the eyes. Asthenopia, more commonly known as eye strain, is a problem that
affects the health of millions of Americans every day as a direct result of contact with computer and mobile device
screens. Headache is also a common result of prolonged computer use, as are dry eyes.

A few simple steps in correctly using computer will reduce eye
strain and resulting headaches.(Image by Freeimages.com)

How to reduce eye
strain

Fortunately, the eye strain and headaches that can occur as a result of frequent computer use are easy
problems to fix. The following methods and products can help cut down on your risk of eye strain while leaving
you free to browse the Internet and get your work done.

1. Keep your computer screen at a
safe distance from your eyes

Distance is one of the most important factors in computer-related eyestrain and headache. Many computer users
keep their screens far too close to their faces while working. The glare of the screen is known to have a negative
effect on the eyes, especially if the user's face is as close as 12 to 18 inches away from the monitor.

There is no commonly agreed-upon distance from the screen at which eye strain is an automatic risk, but a good
general policy is to keep your face at least an arm's length away from your computer's screen at all times. If your
screen is a 20-inch model or larger, however, an arm's length won't be enough. The safe distance between the screen
and your eyes increases with the size of the screen itself, so adjust accordingly.

2. Keep at least one source of
light on at all times while you work

Another cause of eye strain is a lack of proper lighting. The negative effect of the glare that a computer or mobile device screen
gives off is increased if there are no light sources around to balance it out. If you regularly work at a
computer in a darkened room over an extended period of time, you run the risk of developing myopia.

This issue is simple to resolve. Keep at least one light on in your room while you're on the computer. The same
rule applies to extended mobile device use.

3.
Use a pair of pinhole glasses to adjust your sight while on your computer

A new development in eyewear technology has the potential to seriously reduce your risk of computer-related eye
strain and headache. Pinhole glasses are lightweight frames that fit on your nose just as a normal pair of glasses
would. Unlike typical glasses, which use normal glass lenses, pinhole glasses have lenses that contain small
perforations about 1 mm to 1.5 mm in diameter. These pinholes are designed to channel waves of light onto the
retina and eliminate the blur caused by conditions such as myopia and hyperopia. By the same principle, pinhole
glasses can also reduce the negative effects of computer screen glare and help relieve the symptoms of eye strain.
See here for a wide selection of pinhole glasses.

Computer-based eye strain is a problem that you do not have to suffer from. By taking a few simple precautions,
you can both maintain strong eyesight and get your work done without having to cut down on your computer use.

About the authorFrank Foley is an ergonomics expert. He loves to
share his best tips for staying healthy at work on small business blogs.